2^nd September 2015

War Room (2015, PG)

I have heard Rod James outline in several presentations about family research “that the best way for a father to love his children is to love their mother, and the best way for a mother to love her children is to love their father. What is happening in the family is reactive to what is happening in the marriage relationship.” (See Rod James Papers in the ACC website)

The new Kendrick Brothers film War Room builds on previous films that consider family relationships, faith and love, especially the previous films Fireproof and Courageous. The focus in War Room is on prayer, centring on coming closer to God through prayer. This is a film that will connect with many busy and actually disconnected ‘successful’ families. The scenes with the young daughter are often touching as you know she loves her parents who have drifted apart, but is confused as she does not really know if they love her as they seemingly no longer love each other or spend time as a family and simply being with her and helping her with her own life. They do not even know the name of her jump rope team (I had no idea that jump rope or skipping was such a professional and amazingly athletic sport in the USA).

This movie shows a foundation for prayer – it is not our will, but God’s will be done. We need to know what is the good and proper will and much is recorded in the Bible especially in terms of the general will of God in relationships, especially marriage. Miss Clara asks God to help her help someone – someone like she had been, and Elizabeth is brought into her life to help her save her marriage and family.

As I mentioned, prayer is a real practical focus here, but it is integrated prayer as a part of life. The central character Miss Clara is indeed a real 'character'. She embodies that perhaps stereotype of the Southern USA person of faith who will shout out ‘Praise the Lord’ and leap to her feet and dance when she gets excited to learn of an answer to prayer. She loves to spend time in her closet – her War Room, to pray and seek God. She is a prayer warrior, and the movie is also about a call to raise up prayer warriors today and Lord knows we need them.

There are good messages about possessions, money and needs, though this is in the context of middle-class America, as this audience is the prime target for the film. It could be a film that may connect with a wider range of people as certainly today many are considering how to be a family in the 21^st century. As Elizabeth and Tony learn to really forgive and love each other, they are united as a family again. This is an answer to prayer.

Peter Bentley